| The huge amounts of carbon dioxide (C02) being released into the atmosphere by human activities is seriously affecting the global climate. Forests could be extremely important in helping to reduce carbon dioxide levels, because trees trap carbon from the air and retain it in their trunks, leaves, and roots. Trees and other plants capture the carbon during photosynthesis and use it for growth. But if rapid climate change kills forests, trees will die and release their carbon just as carbon levels are already rising. |
Vehicles are one of the major sources of carbon dioxide. Large amounts of C02 are also released when
cleared forest is burned. Photo credit Corel Photo Clipart CD.
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Because forests trap carbon and release oxygen, they have been a major factor in the development of the global climate. At one time there was virtually no free oxygen in the atmosphere; now, several billion years later, it makes up 21% of the atmosphere and we couldn't live without it. This change is thanks to plants -- including trees, and especially those in the tropical rainforests. One hectare of rainforest is almost twice as productive in terms of trapping carbon as one hectare of boreal forest. |
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